India's greatest white-ball player, Yuvraj Singh, was not a certainty for the 2011 ODI World Cup team. India's past head coach, Gary Kirsten, had recently spoken about how there had been internal discussions on whether Yuvraj should be picked and if he had a place in the final XI. But both Kirsten and MS Dhoni, the team captain at that time, stood by the left-hander, and the choice was one of the most significant in Indian cricket history. India ended a 28-year wait for a World Cup trophy by defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Yuvraj played a key role throughout the tournament, helping India lift the title. Yuvraj’s Tournament of a Lifetime Yuvraj's all-round show was incredible, scoring 362 runs and grabbing 15 wickets, for which he won the Player of the Tournament award. Behind the statistics was a tale of grit and determination. Gary Kirsten explained to Rediff.com that, despite moments of frustration, he always loved to watch Yuvraj bat and that mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton was instrumental in the mental and physical preparation of Yuvraj for the tournament. Also Read | 'Stop Playing ICC Events Too' - Salman Butt Slams India Over WCL 2025 Pullout Kirsten said: "I was always very fond of Yuvraj. He used to frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but I just loved him. He was good. I just wanted him to be scoring runs all the time because watching him bat was amazing." India's former head coach added: "There was a journey he had to walk, and credit to Paddy. Paddy did a lot of work with Yuvi to get him ready. Yuvi himself made some key decisions to prepare for the World Cup. Thank goodness we picked him because it was flipping close, he was. It was not a slam dunk selection. The selectors kind of debated around the 15 players. I was very keen to have him in the team as was Dhoni because of the experience that he brought to the group. And look at the World Cup he ended up having." Over eight innings, Yuvraj had scored 362 runs at 90.50 with four fifties and one century. His 113 off 123 against West Indies in Chennai was special, supplemented by the big knocks against Australia, England, Netherlands, and Ireland. In the quarterfinal against Australia, Yuvraj's 57 not out at Ahmedabad had helped India eliminate the defending champions. With the bat, Yuvraj was just as good, picking up 15 wickets at a rate of 25.13, with 5 for 31 against Ireland and two wickets in every of the three knockout games. Throughout his career, Yuvraj played for India in 304 ODIs, accumulating 8,701 runs with 14 hundreds and 52 fifties. But his World Cup journey in 2011 is his most notable achievement. His evolution from a questionable choice to the tournament's largest star is a tale of motivation, persistence, and faith. Yuvraj turned into a more than match-winning player; he turned out to be a warrior who performed when India required him the most.